New Tortoise mom again after many years

Skip K

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I’m so very blessed that Douglas when not sleeping which is quite nosy about what I’m doing. He thinks he’s getting a green bean. Honestly he would follow me anywhere to get one. Have you fed a snap green bean. They are the thinner ones that you can toss in a skillet and quick fry. (Just FYI) if you didn’t know. I’ve not offered any other type.
I think he is a high white but not sure about that or snow leopard. I do know he’s quite blonde and light blonde skin. 10 lbs is quite large I think. I think they grow slower than the eating machine sulcatas.
I have to take pictures of Douglas about every day doing something cute. And the home I got him from said they rescued him and had him about 6 months and had also rescued a fairly larger young sulkata and leopards are not quite as easy. So they put him on Craigslist. And I can’t believe he’d been available for 2 months. No other tortoise would have hit my button. And he ate the morning after I brought him home late evening. And I read all the foods and once he smelled most things he attacked it in my hand. But the green bean if you’ve not offered go get some. Slice it in half longways so it has great smell and hold it up to offer. I’d love to hear she couldn’t resist and then actually think you have one every time she sees or smells you. Douglas usually rises from 10 to 11 and is in be at 5 with our time change and days being shorter. BUT this morning I got up at 7 and let my dogs out and did my thing and got my coffee at he was sitting at the glass enclosure door that I have been opening waiting on me at 7:15 ?
I had to apologize that I didn’t have his bean. So went to kitchen and grabbed one sliced long ways and he came right at the doorway which has several inches of glass holding in the substrate. I have never actually got to see all the way down his throat and all his tongue till this morning. I got a really close up video as I video feeding him so had my phone already recording so I could just pick it up and get him.
l‘d truly love pictures of her. I love when people post pictures. And I’d love to see more leopards. His shell has significant pyramiding in the middle and the next set of scutes and then is smooths out more. I’m really hoping with the right humidity and diet he will grow smooth and it may may the top appear mor even if it spreads out some with his growth.
I’m happy she’s with someone that loves her????
I’ll try to get more pics of Ernie. In the winter...my son ( who will be the steward of all the torts when I’m unable) keeps Ernie for the colder months as we have too many large indoor individual enclosures as it is. Ernie comes back here in the summer as all the outdoor pens are in our yard. I try to stay away from any legumes because of their high protein content...but might try them as a occasional treat. Our torts commercial diets are Zoomed Grassland ( for the Leopard and Sulcatas) and Zoomed Forest for the Redfoots. I feed Mazuri only to the rescue boxies and Zoomed Aquatic to our Central American wood turtle. All our tortoises...for natural food...receive spring mix, collard greens, cactus and hibiscus. The boxies and wood turtle get leftover vegetables and fruits from our kitchen preparations...besides their pelleted diets. I do on the rare occasion ( maybe once a month) feed fruit to Ernie and the Sulcatas ...usually melon ...but only as a treat...because fruit can cause issues with grassland torts gut flora. I would definitely pay attention to humidity...to reduce pyramiding...but also some Leopards can be more supseptable to RI’s than other species which I take into consideration.. Pyramiding seems to be more prevalent in Leopards...and as long as it’s not obscene or possibly health impacting...I don’t obsess over it..but I won’t ignore it either and will make the effort keep it from happening. Most of our torts have been rehomes and came pyramided already.
 
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Skip K

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Here is a better pic of Ernie. Still not great for scale...but she’s more perky
 

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OkAdiza

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This is my tortoise Ink. The pictures were taken about 6 months ago. I think Douglas maybe a girl, however Douglas is still small. If @OkAdiza chooses to share her pictures for a comparison it might help you.
Hello! Just now seeing this. This is Agbienaa. She is 4 years old ( only had her for 8 months though. She needed to be re-homed and I took her in). She is about 8 inches long now and 3lbs 4 oz. The pics are 1-3 months ago.
 

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Beachtherapy

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I’ll try to get more pics of Ernie. In the winter...my son ( who will be the steward of all the torts when I’m unable) keeps Ernie for the colder months as we have too many large indoor individual enclosures as it is. Ernie comes back here in the summer as all the outdoor pens are in our yard. I try to stay away from any legumes because of their high protein content...but might try them as a occasional treat. Our torts commercial diets are Zoomed Grassland ( for the Leopard and Sulcatas) and Zoomed Forest for the Redfoots. I feed Mazuri only to the rescue boxies and Zoomed Aquatic to our Central American wood turtle. All our tortoises...for natural food...receive spring mix, collard greens, cactus and hibiscus. The boxies and wood turtle get leftover vegetables and fruits from our kitchen preparations...besides their pelleted diets. I do on the rare occasion ( maybe once a month) feed fruit to Ernie and the Sulcatas ...usually melon ...but only as a treat...because fruit can cause issues with grassland torts gut flora. I would definitely pay attention to humidity...to reduce pyramiding...but also some Leopards can be more supseptable to RI’s than other species which I take into consideration.. Pyramiding seems to be more prevalent in Leopards...and as long as it’s not obscene or possibly health impacting...I don’t obsess over it..but I won’t ignore it either and will make the effort keep it from happening. Most of our torts have been rehomes and came pyramided already.
Sounds wonderful and a life you enjoy knowing your taking care of and improving the lives of neglected pets but because they are cute and fun till they are not. I’m hoping to improve Douglas in shell growth but I’m not overthinking what he has in pyramiding. Too many look like this and worse even in natural habitat pictures. It makes since since some are hatched when Mother Nature doesn't furnish what then need at the start but all look healthy and happy.
He came with a huge plastic container of Grassland pellets. Wouldn’t touch them. Most zoos feed the Mazuri and I can’t buy locally and bought a few pounds off eBay of the low starch. Mostly because they are small. Reading the ingredients it starts with Timothy hay and has no corn. I want to try the normal and that’s what my daughter feeds her red foot.
Here is a better pic of Ernie. Still not great for scale...but she’s more perky
She’s beautiful and Douglas looks almost just like her. If his pyramiding looks like hers as he grows I’ll be thrilled. I feel blessed and I bet you do too.
 

Beachtherapy

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Hello! Just now seeing this. This is Agbienaa. She is 4 years old ( only had her for 8 months though. She needed to be re-homed and I took her in). She is about 8 inches long now and 3lbs 4 oz. The pics are 1-3 months ago.
Oh my she’s beautiful. If Douglas was as big as her we’d have trouble telling who was who. Her tail looks like Agbienaa’s. And Douglas is supposed to be going on 3 years but I don’t think he’s that old. He still has a baby face too.
this is his tail and the shape of shell looks very much like a V to me. But I think he’s too young. I’d like to see the tail of a 3 year old male leopard.
 

Beachtherapy

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I guess I’ll just have to not care for now
the single pic is Douglas
 

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Skip K

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Sounds wonderful and a life you enjoy knowing your taking care of and improving the lives of neglected pets but because they are cute and fun till they are not. I’m hoping to improve Douglas in shell growth but I’m not overthinking what he has in pyramiding. Too many look like this and worse even in natural habitat pictures. It makes since since some are hatched when Mother Nature doesn't furnish what then need at the start but all look healthy and happy.
He came with a huge plastic container of Grassland pellets. Wouldn’t touch them. Most zoos feed the Mazuri and I can’t buy locally and bought a few pounds off eBay of the low starch. Mostly because they are small. Reading the ingredients it starts with Timothy hay and has no corn. I want to try the normal and that’s what my daughter feeds her red foot.

She’s beautiful and Douglas looks almost just like her. If his pyramiding looks like hers as he grows I’ll be thrilled. I feel blessed and I bet you do too.
The only reason I don’t use Mazuri is one of its ingredients is “cane molasses”. I’ve seen a few torts develop sweet tooth’s because of this and be reluctant to eat anything that’s not sweet. My torts eat anything I put down in front of them. Luckily we have been able to “keep in check” the pyramiding on Ernie mostly...that she came to us with. Douglas does have some pyramiding that gives him his own uniqueness ..but I’m glad you are going to try to correct any further issues with this. You wouldn’t want the pyramiding to get much worse. His pyramiding is a bit more pronounced than Ernie had at that size...so that the steps you are taking toward fixing the husbandry issues that Douglas had before you got him...will serve him well. I’m sure you can DO IT!
Hello! Just now seeing this. This is Agbienaa. She is 4 years old ( only had her for 8 months though. She needed to be re-homed and I took her in). She is about 8 inches long now and 3lbs 4 oz. The pics are 1-3 months ago.
[/QUOTE
 

Beachtherapy

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The only reason I don’t use Mazuri is one of its ingredients is “cane molasses”. I’ve seen a few torts develop sweet tooth’s because of this and be reluctant to eat anything that’s not sweet. My torts eat anything I put down in front of them. Luckily we have been able to “keep in check” the pyramiding on Ernie mostly...that she came to us with. Douglas does have some pyramiding that gives him his own uniqueness ..but I’m glad you are going to try to correct any further issues with this. You wouldn’t want the pyramiding to get much worse. His pyramiding is a bit more pronounced than Ernie had at that size...so that the steps you are taking toward fixing the husbandry issues that Douglas had before you got him...will serve him well. I’m sure you can DO IT!
Thank you. I’m really trying to give him the best care I can. He still very much prefers his greens and cactus. Been reading about green beans. Wow how many different sites can “be true” and totally different about the same thing? Wow. He eats his LS and Timothy grass is first In ingredients. I think if he ate the regular one with corn being second ingredient he'd insist. I’ve not gave him any. It’s not suggested for him anyway. And he gobbles up the pellets one day and not the next. With all the great shelled tortoises I’ve been watching on line in different zoos and places they feed lots of it but also take huge bags of veggies to feed too. So I’m trying to have a happy medium. HE loves green beans!
so after reading on here and on line he will only get them for occasional treats.
he almost climbed out of his door yesterday before I realized on here they were too high in protein. So it’s a journey and I want him happy and he’s still adjusting. I put a humidifier on and ran a tube in enclosure and he turned into a sauna addict. So need to regroup on humidity. I don’t mind him loving the mist but he’s stopped getting up and going on his travels. Too cold to put him out. I’m so happy I have him but got him in the winter and it’s already been 20°

My main thing is he’s happy and grows properly and to his or her full potential.
it’s really nice to talk to someone who has gotten thru what I’ve just started. The big thing is I have to fix the humidity ASAP because it’s winter and the house is dryer with heat on.
I did go and buy a concrete square stepping stone to see how it would do under his ceramic heat lamp. I’m thinking if he will climb up on the tile that is over an inch thick it will help his beak and toenails. His back ones seem extra long. If they lay out on rocks to sun this could be just the thing. And I bought some regular light bulbs too till I can get the right strip light for his enclosure. It’s not the right bulb that came with his light system. Pet stores just want to sell.
thanks so much for taking the time to tell me things you did. I’m calling it a night. It was a puppies going to their new homes day. Pretty exhausting
but it’s a great job.
 

Beachtherapy

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Welcome to the Forum. I really appreciate your story, and hope you hang around a while...
View attachment 312912
I really plan on soaking up everything I can to grow my baby right and him be a happy healthy shelled friend. He’s very attentive which I feel blessed for..
and I’m a picture person and love to look at pictures and share pictures.
thank you so much for the welcome????
 

Skip K

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Thank you. I’m really trying to give him the best care I can. He still very much prefers his greens and cactus. Been reading about green beans. Wow how many different sites can “be true” and totally different about the same thing? Wow. He eats his LS and Timothy grass is first In ingredients. I think if he ate the regular one with corn being second ingredient he'd insist. I’ve not gave him any. It’s not suggested for him anyway. And he gobbles up the pellets one day and not the next. With all the great shelled tortoises I’ve been watching on line in different zoos and places they feed lots of it but also take huge bags of veggies to feed too. So I’m trying to have a happy medium. HE loves green beans!
so after reading on here and on line he will only get them for occasional treats.
he almost climbed out of his door yesterday before I realized on here they were too high in protein. So it’s a journey and I want him happy and he’s still adjusting. I put a humidifier on and ran a tube in enclosure and he turned into a sauna addict. So need to regroup on humidity. I don’t mind him loving the mist but he’s stopped getting up and going on his travels. Too cold to put him out. I’m so happy I have him but got him in the winter and it’s already been 20°

My main thing is he’s happy and grows properly and to his or her full potential.
it’s really nice to talk to someone who has gotten thru what I’ve just started. The big thing is I have to fix the humidity ASAP because it’s winter and the house is dryer with heat on.
I did go and buy a concrete square stepping stone to see how it would do under his ceramic heat lamp. I’m thinking if he will climb up on the tile that is over an inch thick it will help his beak and toenails. His back ones seem extra long. If they lay out on rocks to sun this could be just the thing. And I bought some regular light bulbs too till I can get the right strip light for his enclosure. It’s not the right bulb that came with his light system. Pet stores just want to sell.
thanks so much for taking the time to tell me things you did. I’m calling it a night. It was a puppies going to their new homes day. Pretty exhausting
but it’s a great job.
If you are worried about beak and nails...you can try feeding ON the stepping stone. For feeding only...I use slate stepping stones ( abrasive but not too abrasive) in the outdoor enclosures and low sided terra cotta plant pot bottoms in the indoor enclosures for helping with beak and nail overgrowth. If you need to trim the nails take care to not cut so far up the nail that you cut into the “quick”...just like a dog
 

OkAdiza

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Oh my she’s beautiful. If Douglas was as big as her we’d have trouble telling who was who. Her tail looks like Agbienaa’s. And Douglas is supposed to be going on 3 years but I don’t think he’s that old. He still has a baby face too.
this is his tail and the shape of shell looks very much like a V to me. But I think he’s too young. I’d like to see the tail of a 3 year old male leopard.
Thank you! And I’m sorry, I had a typo. Agbienaa is 3. Her previous owner got her as a hatchling Dec. of 2017. She too had a bit of pyramiding when I got her and I’ve had her in a closed enclosure with humidity 80-90% and temps 80 and up depending on location ( ambient is kept 80 on a thermostat). She gets a soak for an hour each morning too and I’ve been spraying her shell here and there throughout the day with distilled water (recommendations came from Tom to help stop the pyramiding). I too was not sure of the gender. I am going off of what the previous owner told me. They actually had referred to her as a he up until a few months before I got her. They said they found out she was a girl. Excited for you and Douglas. Welcome to the forum!
 
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Maggie3fan

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I am certainly not an expert, but I'm thinkin that 3 years is too young to sex. If it's not sick a 20 or 30 minute soak is enuf. Tom told you to spray the carapace with distilled water?
 

vei489

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I’m here to introduce myself. I’m 63 years old and have been fascinated with tortoises since my first ride on a huge (probably Galapagos) one at Silver Springs Zoo in Silver Springs Florida about 59 years ago. We lived in Cocoa, Florida. My dad fished in the jeddies at Merritt Island. We would watch the huge military ships and submarines come in and the awesome fully dressed out in uniform sailors come ashore to greet their families. I loved him fishing there because the channel was so deep any size sea creature could be seen and or caught. Even big sharks and occasionally we would see a sea turtle meandering by. There was so much food thrown in from everyone it was an aquatic buffet. Ribbon fish were the prize catch because all the fisherman shared them for bait.

We grew up with many different reptiles my dad caught. Snakes for the most part and crossed a creek to go to Pineda Elementary where we seen alligator tails sliding in the water as we crossed a little plank swinging bridge. We actually never saw one sitting. Guess we were to noisy and never gave it a thought. It was our way of life. We would go to Clear Lake and half was roped off for the gators on the other side. We rarely saw them. My 2 year old brother came running in the house one day flinging in his hand a “lizard” he caught lol. He had a baby alligator in his little hand flinging it’s little head sideways back and forth. My dad rescued it from my brother and took it to the creek to turn loose. Don’t think it survived to get there. He never would tell me. But we were fearless around any reptiles of any kind.
So he would on occasion bring me a what (he called a tarpon turtle) terrapin. We didn’t know they were box turtles. However they were always grown and would never come out to play lol. So interest was lost.

Then we moved back to his and my mom’s home town in Northeast Tennessee in the Tri Cities when I was 11 in 1967. We lived by a huge wooded area with a fairly decent creek and box turtles were plentiful. So we pretty much tortured many and forget about them and they would leave. Got a hatchling once I took care of for a few months and actually did a great job till as I’ve read on here NOT to do! Walk away. I cried and hunted for days.

So skipping “centuries” to the late 80’s early 90’s in my 30’s moved to another area in the Tri Cities where having a small pet store we had people bring me box turtles of all sizes. We had a huge ridge and rocky sink hole on the back of the property I would release them. Then one day someone brought me a grown very tame one that I took care of for a few years. Me and my young girls would go hunting pinkie mice in the barn for him. We found some in our aviary one day. Brand new babies so I offered him one and he became a true friend when I had them.
It was kind of fun since I Hate mice! So I thought how cool to feed him a pinkie new baby rat. By then we sold both sizes for snakes in our pet store. Had several people giving me pinky rats where they raised for their own snakes and always had too many. Giving one to Jason ( OH MY GOD! ) I did not consider he could swallow a pinkie mouse in a bite, what he would do to a brand new pinkie rat? that was his last one. Poor little rat. Jason was a torture chamber of sharp scissors. It literally hurt my heart?
Well “Jason” got a wife from another pet store and I got to see turtles in the making. I had no idea ?
and it was as I’ve read on here over and over and over. So reading up on them it said (by now we had internet in the mid 90’s) that they could carry fertile eggs for years. That may or may not have been accurate but I felt bad for Jessie and decided to take turtle husband and wife to the sink hole. As soon as they went opposite directions I knew I should have kept Jason. SO.....our pet supplier had baby sulcatas and I traded for 2 babies. Wow I was busy and all they did was eat and grow and eat and grow and potty. Not what I expected. Not sure what I expected. Wasn’t educated on this type tortoise and panicked over where I was going to put two 2’ plus turtles and what would I have to build. So another local pet shop took them on consignment and at this point they had gotten to about 5” each. Shop cleared out one night and left town emptying the store and ran with all the critters.

Wonder if any of you guys remember a show that there was a larger small tortoise named Lucy, I think. She brought up all my turtle wishes again. Wish I knew what show. And I think it was a young woman that had had her for years and they were great friends.

So.......... jump mid 2000 maybe around 2010 I started my turtle journey again. I did research and still had my big turtle love in my heart and found the little big cutest ever, the Leopard Tortoise.
So thinking I knew enough and believed the seller with turtles for sale with actual website with pretty much any kind you could want, believed I bought a well started baby. Paid more for the well started. I couldn’t pay the higher price for the high white prettier ones. Well he came at about just under $400 because shipping was $99.. had everything ready but he refused to eat and really never opened his eyes all the way open. I tried and tried to get him to eat. Called them. They only guarantee live arrival. Well he was alive and we had had him several days BUT he had his egg tooth! A given he was a hatchling. Tiny scab like on his underside like a tiny belly button. I didn’t know about absorbing egg sacs then either.
If I could remember the name of the turtle store I would put it right on here. We had no exotic vet around but for birds and iguanas. My young daughter did more reading and she took him but couldn’t save him either. He never had a chance.

Skip a few years and we got brave again and found a different seller and we together bought 3 red foot tortoises. Once again it said well started and they did eat but only one survived and she is 7 years old now with my daughter. She learned the hard way about pyramiding. Her red foot has a bad dent in her pyramided shell and got growing better and is doing wonderful.
So........On Craigslist searching for a chocolate lab came across for the first time ever a leopard tortoise for sale for $200 and had been on there I’m thinking a month. Messaged and it was still available right in my local area.. so exchanged our numbers and we talked about “him”. They say he would come with everything to take care of him. A large 34” tote type set up with the supposedly right food, the ZooMed dual lighting system and its stand for sale. So my heart leaped and my brain said NO NO NO.
Then I offered $150 and they said yes! So got him. They had told me he had some pyramiding on his shell and they had rescued him and he was 2 years old and they had him about 6 months. They also rescued a year old Sulcata and they adored him and decided they were neglecting him some. So we meet that day and I come home with the most beautiful blonde spotted pyramided beautiful shell baby Leopard tortoise I could imagine. My hearts desire!
He was friendly instantly and after I got over the shock of such a deal it hit me the next morning WHAT was I doing. Where would I put “Douglas” in the cold winters and panicked again!
So I asked if they would take him back and my money would be what I paid for a Tortoise one day adventure. First the one I talked to said she thought they would. But later that evening the true tortoise care taker who deeply loves her sulcata had said no. So the one I’d been talking to said just put him back on Craig’s list. My heart broke. I’d ask my daughter if she would help me research and do this right. I wanted to stop the pyramiding of his shell for sure. She said she would definitely help me learn the care. She also said if you think you will not want him in a few weeks No! I’ll not take him!!!!
you'll have to put him back on Craigslist. But if you keep him and love him and take good care of him when you’re too old to take care of him I’ll be happy to keep him the rest of his or my life. How sweet is that. So I took a deep breath and got hold of my self and breathed in and out like we are supposed to do and absolutely fell in love with this little 4x5” almost 1# creature of God. Who literally dropped one of my biggest heart’s desires in my lap with pretty much everything I needed till I decided what I did want for him. I spent less than about what they spent buying the best supplies to start taking care of him. There are hundreds of you that know when I say Douglas is a blessing from God and really what I needed at this time in my life. I also don’t have to tell any of you my favorite thing is feeding him by hand and actually just watching him eat. And that little tongue. Oh how I love his little mouth crunching and pushing food around with it. There really are no words to explain how relaxed and peaceful I get taking care him him in all the ways he needs. He is so social it’s really a miracle. He loves any part of his body rubbed. I mist him down and he fits perfectly in both my hands to rub him from head to toe. He relaxes to the point i can feel it thru his shell. He craves my attention. And he loves his soak bath and the warm pulse shower after. I did manage to get a 36” 2 door terrarium for him with the desert scenery that he loves looking at and I absolutely love this set up for now. I have room to have a huge turtle table in front of a corner fire place I'll never use, that will sit perfect so he’s always seen. I will have doors built the same way. He learned in one day if I open the door he’s getting a green bean. I’d read they could have them so I bought the small snap beans. I had to fight him to get this huge piece he chomped and almost swallowed. He wasn’t giving. Lol. So I did win but chop them up unless I split the bean and be ready to twist so it breaks. He’s getting strength in this bean therapy ? so i wasn’t sure how many he could have in daily feeding. Wasn’t sure if it was occasionally. He went on strike for 2 days and barely ate. Sniffed and put his little nose in the air lol. So I started giving him one before breakfast of soaked Mazuri LS pellets that he finally are well when I finally decided to soak in very hot water and wow the grass fragrance! He gobbles up now along with chopped up cactus and a salad mix that has very little spinach if any and some romain stalks, occasional zucchini didn’t care for squash and chopped collards. He eats, leaves the dish to go traveling looking at his scenery then comes and eats again and then starts grazing as he passes it on his Desert journey till he calls it a day. So with this system going and me giving him his sliced in half bean, I decided to open these wonderful glass doors. All it took was a sniff and if a turtle can run he did. He’d already had a piece of it earlier. I had his bowl ready with the bean and there’s no way to tell you how precious he looked running to me for his bean. Then I’m talking to him doing a video of it and telling him I’ve got his dinner. He is a early to bed, late riser. And he knew! Who would think feeding a turtle that has the most precious smiling face coming as fast as his little legs can go with that huge domed gorgeous shell would be such a gift to my mental health. I had no idea I would love him like this. My best friend and companion 24/7 is a beautiful, even if I raised him (schnauzer breeder 32 years) 5 year old giant schnauzer Walter, how could feel about the same for Douglas this fast. What a mere 2 months tomorrow?
He has a small video fan club. My best friend who is a groomer and reptile and fish and miniature schnauzers from me and a Newfoundland x2 mom, is hoping the fever she’s getting wanting this joy, peacefulness and fun in her life like we’ve never know will pass in the spring when she’s milking little goats to have milk to bottle feed their babies and small babydoll sheep babies.

I say she will have to or may need to get her one. At least we know these will out live us where our beloved dogs typically at best give us 15-17 years. I’ve already cried that Walter is 5 years old in a blink and if he makes it to 15 I’ll be just 73 and will still need a special friend like Douglas even if I’m blessed to raise and breed a big little schnauzer I’m hoping is 50-60 lbs instead of 110+ lbs. I can’t help them get around like I did my last great great grandfather of Walter. He made it to 13. When we are old we need canes and walkers and wheelchairs. So far we can get harnesses with handles and that was very hard too. So at least I’ll have Douglas that probably will have his own room with a big shower here where we live.

So that’s me. And Douglas was truly one of those Gifts from God of our heart’s desires when I absolutely hadn’t give turtles a thought since the red foot babies.
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Welcome.
 

Beachtherapy

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Oct 10, 2020
Messages
37
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If you are worried about beak and nails...you can try feeding ON the stepping stone. For feeding only...I use slate stepping stones ( abrasive but not too abrasive) in the outdoor enclosures and low sided terra cotta plant pot bottoms in the indoor enclosures for helping with beak and nail overgrowth. If you need to trim the nails take care to not cut so far up the nail that you cut into the “quick”...just like a dog
Thank you so much Skip. I got 2 tiles last night to do that very thing with a bigger clay pot bottom dish so can use both together.
I appreciate the toenail advice. I’m a retired dog groomer of 33 years and know about quicks? I’ve even done guinea pigs and large bunnies and a couple other critters. But wondering how to hold Douglas to do his back ones was going to be a challenge by myself and I sure didn’t want to upset him. So my theory was beak in the clay dish and back feet on the rough concrete 12” tile. Got his dish in this morning but going to heat the stone in my oven a little then get it buried down to about a half above. I can always lift it up as it gets covered up but harder to get it lower.
 

OkAdiza

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Tortoise Club
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Oct 7, 2019
Messages
469
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I am certainly not an expert, but I'm thinkin that 3 years is too young to sex. If it's not sick a 20 or 30 minute soak is enuf. Tom told you to spray the carapace with distilled water?
Yeah, I am not sure she’s a girl for sure. This is the post about some of the recommendations from Tom. Not sure if I’m linking it correctly.

 

Skip K

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Joined
Mar 4, 2020
Messages
407
Location (City and/or State)
Virginia
Thank you so much Skip. I got 2 tiles last night to do that very thing with a bigger clay pot bottom dish so can use both together.
I appreciate the toenail advice. I’m a retired dog groomer of 33 years and know about quicks? I’ve even done guinea pigs and large bunnies and a couple other critters. But wondering how to hold Douglas to do his back ones was going to be a challenge by myself and I sure didn’t want to upset him. So my theory was beak in the clay dish and back feet on the rough concrete 12” tile. Got his dish in this morning but going to heat the stone in my oven a little then get it buried down to about a half above. I can always lift it up as it gets covered up but harder to get it lower.
I’ve only had to trim nails twice...on rehomes. They didn’t seem to mind the procedure. The only time I struggle is with the procedure I must do to rescue boxies with serious ear infections. But have learned how to deal with it by myself. I have needed some slight assists rehabbing seriously injured snakes...but what’s a nip here and there between friends. I wouldn’t worry about heating the stone. Put it near the basking light...should warm it enough and will help with the nails when Douglas basks. You don’t want the stone too hot. Keep an eye out on Douglas’ feet and plastron. Just to make sure the concrete stone is not overly abrasive
 
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Beachtherapy

Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2020
Messages
37
Location (City and/or State)
Tennessee
I’ve only had to trim nails twice...on rehomes. They didn’t seem to mind the procedure. The only time I struggle is with the procedure I must do to rescue boxies with serious ear infections. But have learned how to deal with it by myself. I have needed some slight assists rehabbing seriously injured snakes...but what’s a nip here and there between friends. I wouldn’t worry about heating the stone. Put it near the basking light...should warm it enough and will help with the nails when Douglas basks. You don’t want the stone too hot. Keep an eye out on Douglas’ feet and plastron. Just to make sure the concrete stone is not overly abrasive
Thanks so much. It isn’t very abrasive and with his terra cotta plate there’s really no room for his plastron. Mostly just his front feet getting into his food and just saw him standing high on his tip toes eating. Don’t think with him standing like that on this tile it will take long to trim them. His front look ok and to me his back ones look to long. He’s loving me so much in such a short amount of time I just didn’t want to stress him. He’s just now relaxing his back legs when I rub him. Really hoping this tile, it’s a stepping stone I think, works but if too fast I’ll take it out.
 

Beachtherapy

Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2020
Messages
37
Location (City and/or State)
Tennessee
I’ve only had to trim nails twice...on rehomes. They didn’t seem to mind the procedure. The only time I struggle is with the procedure I must do to rescue boxies with serious ear infections. But have learned how to deal with it by myself. I have needed some slight assists rehabbing seriously injured snakes...but what’s a nip here and there between friends. I wouldn’t worry about heating the stone. Put it near the basking light...should warm it enough and will help with the nails when Douglas basks. You don’t want the stone too hot. Keep an eye out on Douglas’ feet and plastron. Just to make sure the concrete stone is not overly abrasive
I didn’t see any slate stepping stones. I’d rather have them as the would mor natural. I grew up here where slate was our rocks. We love busting it up.
 

Skip K

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2020
Messages
407
Location (City and/or State)
Virginia
I didn’t see any slate stepping stones. I’d rather have them as the would mor natural. I grew up here where slate was our rocks. We love busting it up.
Luckily our plant nursery carries the slate pieces.
 

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